General information
Type of Incompatibility: Government
Comment on Type of Incompatibility: Following the beginning of a democratisation process in 1958, successive governments in Venezuela faced low-level armed resistance from various leftist movements, all of which attempted to remove the government by force and establish leftist regimes.
Date of first stated goal of incompatibility: 1970-12-31
Date of first use of armed force: 1970-01-01
Comment on first use of armed force: The information available indicates that Bandera Rojas conducted small-scale guerrilla activity against Venezuelan government targets throughout the 1970s.
Date of first battle related death: 1962-01-01
Date of conflict reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1962-06-03
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1981
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 1 |
| Best | 1 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
1982
Primary Parties: Government of Venezuela - Bandera Roja
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 26 |
| Best | 26 |
| Low | 1 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
1992
Primary Parties: Government of Venezuela - Military faction (forces of Hugo Chávez)
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 263 |
| Best | 144 |
| Low | 144 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2016
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2017
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2018
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2021
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2022
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 5 |
| Best | 5 |
| Low | 5 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2023
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2024
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2025
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Internal
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
Conflict Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1981 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
1982 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: In 1982, fighting between security forces and the rebel group Bandera Roja for the first time reached the level of an armed conflict. Although the rebels had been waging a low-level guerrilla struggle since the early 1970s, the conflict only became active as the government in 1982 launched a counterinsurgency operation against the group. A major raid in April left more than 20 rebels dead.
Negotiations: NO
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: No or Low Activity
Date of termination: 1982-12-31
Comment on Termination: Following 1982, the conflict between Bandera Roja and the Venezuelan government did not reach the threshold of 25 battle-related deaths. Thus, the conflict is regarded as terminated as of last December 1982.
1992 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: On 4 February 1992 five army units under the command of Lt.-Col. Hugo Chavéz Frías launched a coup to overthrow the government, headed by President Carlos Andréz Peréz. The dissident five army units launched coordinated attacks to take the governmental palace, the presidential residence, the central airport, the Ministry of Defence, Navy and National guard buildings and the national television station. When army-forces loyal to the President launched a counter-attack heavy fighting erupted in the capital. The following morning Chavez ordered the rebel soldiers to surrender.
Chavéz identified his faction as the Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement, but the goals and motivations for the coup were not broadcasted. The coup followed violent protests and labour unrest arising from economic reforms and record-high inflation and a growing disparity between rich and poor. Following the coup the government imposed press- and television censorship and suspended a number of constitutional rights to halt media coverage and public mobilization.
While Lt.-Col. Hugo Chavéz Frías was still in prison, a second coup attempt was initiated on 27 November the same year. Also this time it was rebel army forces, associated with the Bolaviarian Revolutionary Movement, that staged the coup. They managed to seize important air force bases, and rebel jets bombed key installations such as the presidential palace and police stations. From the national television station, also occupied, the rebels appealed to the Venezuelans to join the rebellion against what they claimed was a corrupt government which had benefited a narrow elite at the expanse of growing poverty among the population. About 1000 civilians marched towards the presidential palace, but the crowd was dispersed by the police. Fighting continued for two days and a state of emergency was brought into force, curfew imposed and constitutional rights suspended, until troops loyal to the President managed to oust the coup makers.
Negotiations: NO
Third party involvement: NO
Victory: YES
Victory side: a
Comment on Victory: In the short run the government won a definitive military victory. After two days of fighting, the coup makers were defeated and forced to surrender to the government forces. The coup had failed to mobilize the necessary support of the army and the support of the civilian population to succeed. Although the coup failed to overthrow the government the level of conspiracy and the degree of sympathy within the armed forces were significant. In May 1993 Peréz was forced to resign as President on charges of corruption and misuse of public funds. After his imprisonment Chávez emerged as the main contender of the President post in the 1998 elections. He won the elections and remains President as of date (February 2004).
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: Victory
Date of termination: 1992-11-28
Comment on Termination: In the short run the government won a definitive military victory. After two days of fighting, the coup makers were defeated and forced to surrender to the government forces. The coup had failed to mobilize the necessary support of the army and the support of the civilian population to succeed. Although the coup failed to overthrow the government the level of conspiracy and the degree of sympathy within the armed forces were significant. In May 1993 Peréz was forced to resign as President on charges of corruption and misuse of public funds. After his imprisonment Chávez emerged as the main contender of the President post in the 1998 elections. He won the elections and remains President as of date (February 2004).
Comment on Termination Date: After two days of fighting, the coup makers were defeated and forced to surrender to the government forces. The coup had neither secured the support of the army, nor the civilian population necessary to succeed.
2016 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2017 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2018 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2021 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2022 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2023 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2024 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2025 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
